The Things We Do For Love
by Pebblemist of LightClan
Summary: As the gang navigates through middle school, each of them finds that the world is an even stranger place than they thought, and life is even stranger. As their lives begin to change, and they encounter different things for the first time, they find that they have a force that can overcome these challenges: each other. And the things that they will do for each other are crazy!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, guys. Pebble here. Well, I'm at my father's, without access to my tablet. So I can't work on my other stories. *sigh* So, I wanted to write, and this is what happened. I got this idea, and it just flowed from there. Enjoy, and I'll try to update my other stories as soon as I can. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Girl Meets World or any of its characters.**

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><p><em>~~~ <span>Riley's Point Of View<span>~~~ Chapter One: Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows_

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><p>In my whopping twelve-year-long experience with the world, I've learned that life is a very strange thing. One moment, it's all sunshine and lollipops and rainbows. You could be the happiest person in existence, with not a care in the world. Then something happens, and storm clouds roll in, the lollipops disappear, and the beautiful colors of the rainbow are completely swallowed by the darkness. You can become sad, or angry, or depressed just like that, in only a matter of seconds.<p>

That's how the day started; sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows galore. If I had known at the time I woke up that morning how quickly and unexpectedly the day would spiral out of control, maybe I might have been able to brace myself, be more prepared for it. But of course, that's not even close to how the world works, and I was left jumping out of bedwith a smile on my face that morning, thinking that it could very well have been the best day of my life. Boy, was I ever wrong.

It had started out as a normal morning. I had woken up in a particularly sun-shiney, rainbowey mood, with a cloudless blue sky just outside of my window, the sun shining as brightly as ever. There was no mistaking it, no need to check the weather channel. It was going to be a warm, sunny day, not even the slightest chance of rain. _Maybe not in the physical world_, I would later think upon reflecting back on that day, _but emotionally? There was a category-five hurricane._

"Morning!" I exclaimed happily as I emerged from my room, all but flying into the dining room. A let out a contented sigh as I surveyed my family. My wonderful, loving family, gathered at the table for breakfast. Dad reading his newspaper, Mom airplane-feeding Auggie a spoonful of soggy oatmeal, ignoring his protests of wanting to go to Farkle's for breakfast. I tried not to giggle. Life couldn't have gotten much better than that, could it? "It's such a beautiful day, isn't it?" I asked, twirling into my seat, a grin a mile wide stretching across my face..

"Someone's in a really good mood today," Mom said, smiling at me.

"Oh, really?" I asked, not really thinking before I spoke. "Who?"

Mom just shook her head with an exasperated sigh and continued feeding Auggie. I felt my face grow hot as I realized that she was talking about me. "Oh." I gave my best effort to laugh it off. I succeeded, and somewhat forgot about it as the intercom buzzed.

"Hey losers, it's Maya," the familiar voice of the best friend I could ever have rang throughout the apartment. I stood up and danced my way to the door. I pressed the button, called "Come on up!" and went back to my seat. Just as soon as I was seated, the door swung open, and there stood my BFF, dressed in a simple navy blue pullover hoodie, ripped-up blue jeans, and a pair of boots, her backpack slung over one shoulder, looking a little too light for something that should have been carrying a huge load of books.

"Hey, Maya!" I called, patting the empty seat next to me.

"Maya, oatmeal," my mother said instantly. Maya opened her mouth to protest as she sat.

"No thanks, Mrs. Mathe-"

"Maya, sweetie, I think we've had this conversation before. I wasn't asking."

Maya brushed her golden blonde hair out of her eyes and smiled, accepting the bowl of oatmeal without any further protests.

The morning continued on in an ordinary manner, Maya and I finishing up our food, Dad leaving for work, and Auggie watching Mr. Googly. I had just inserted my last spoonful of oatmeal into my mouth when Maya stood up abruptly.

"It's seven o'clock, Riles. You ready?" she asked.

"Hold on," I choked down the soggy food as fast as I could. "Now I'm ready," I jumped up, and led the way towards the door, picking up my two-ton backpack with much effort. My arms screamed in protest as I flung the bag around my shoulders. It instantly weighed me down, forcing me first forwards, then backwards.

"Hey Riles," Maya began, evidently holding back a laugh. "Have you seen my books?"

"Hm, let me check," I grumbled, putting my bag down and pulling out a horde of books that did not belong to me. "Are these your?" I asked, trying my best to sound mad. Maya snickered, not taking me seriously. I didn't blame her, though. There was no way I could be mad at her for something so small for more than about two seconds. I am such a softie at times. Or all the time... Well, _anyways_...

"Thanks," Maya said, sarcasm dripping from her voice as I handed her the books. I rolled my eyes, picking up my now lighter bag and heading out the door.

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><p>The sun shone down on us as we approached the school. Overhead, the sky was clear and blue, not a single cloud to be seen. A cool, steady breeze blew through, blowing my brown hair into a mess. I would have to brush it later.<p>

The front entrance to John Quincy Addams Middle School was crowded. I mean, _really _crowded. No one wanted to be cooped up inside on a beautiful day like this.

Well, at least no one with the exception of Maya. She made it fairly clear that she did not want to be outside when she grabbed on to my wrist and dragged me up the steps and into the school without even acknowledging my protests. I swear, if I had fallen, she would have probably kept dragging me without giving me a chance to stand, she was in such a hurry.

"Maya! What are you doing? I know how to walk!"

Maya paused, glancing at me with a smug look on her face. "You sure about that? After this morning, I wasn't so sure."

Not sure how else to react, my awkward self decided to stick my tongue out at her. "I had _your _books in my backpack! Let me guess, you didn't do the homework?"

"How could I?" Maya asked as we approached our lockers. "You had my books."

"Maya, if you don't want to fail, you _have _to do the homework," I told her, dropping all of my books into my locker and selecting the History one for first period, placing it back in my bag. "Homework's a grade, too, you know. A big part of it, too"

"I still don't see the point of homework," Maya pointed out. "Why can't we just get all of our work done at school?"

"You're not thinking of starting another rebellion, are you? Because if you do, I take absolutely no responsibility if you burn down the school."

Maya snorted. "Yeah, right. Like I didn't learn my lesson the first time. Come on, Riles, you don't really think I'd be stupid enough to do it again, do you?"

I shrugged. "You were stupid enough to do it the first time." I said, surprised that the words actually left my mouth. I had always thought that the homework rebellion had been a stupid idea, but I guess I'd been blinded by wanting to be like Maya that I wasn't listening to myself. Now I had actually admitted it. I have to admit, I was kind of proud of myself.

Maya was dumbfounded. For once, she didn't have a smart comeback, which was almost odd. She paused, her eyes darting around as if she were physically looking for a comeback. Her shoulders slumped when she failed to find one.

"Fine," she mumbled, obviously suppressing a grin. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

I opened my mouth to reply, only to be cut off before I could get more than two syllables out. "Yeah, you-"

"Hey."

The sweet southern accent in his voice made my heart melt. The butterflies in my stomach began to flutter as they realized his presence. I turned to him, my voice catching in my throat.

"H-hey," I said, stammering as I met his striking green eyes. The butterflies went wild.

"What did I miss?" Lucas asked, leaning against the lockers casually. He had been absent for a few days because of a family emergency he had to attend to, back in Texas. Luckily, everything had ended up alright, and he was back in New York.

"Howdy, Ranger Rick," Maya said in her fake southern accent. "Did ya enjoy the rodeos back in Texas?"

"Ha, ha," Lucas deadpanned. "Hey, Maya. It's nice to see you, too."

Maya grit her teeth. "Why can't I get to you?" she asked, clenching her fists in frustration. Lucas shrugged, tipping his imaginary cowboy hat in that way that always seemed to get on Maya's nerves. I laughed, leaning against the lockers to watch.

"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am," he said, leaning down so that he and Maya were eye to eye. "But I'm afraid I don't know how to answer that question."

Maya scoffed and turned back to her locker, grabbing her History book and shutting the door. She shoved the book into her bag with an irritated glare at Lucas. I had to shake my head at her; as much as she pretended not to like him, they had proven their friendship too many times before. But, of course, they always had to continue their little game.

It's not like I thought that Maya might have like-liked Lucas. One, even if she did, knowing her, she would get over it, especially since she knew I liked him- she was just that kind of friend. But as much as she tried to hide it, it was incredibly obvious (at least to me) that she had a crush on Farkle.

Every time she was near him, there was a different attitude. She was always the same old Maya, but she showed more signs of protectiveness when she was around him. She always seemed to be watching out for him, like his personal bodyguard. Anything regarding Farkle was automatically made her business. And then there were those little things, the the things that only a best friend notices. Little changes of facial expression, tone of voice, you know, those kind of things.

Besides, the way she beamed when Farkle said that he like her drawing, back during that No Cell Phones assignment kind of said it all, don't you think?

Speaking of Farkle, the little guy showed up at about that moment, with his flirtatious greeting of "Hello, ladies," to which Maya and I replied with our usual "Farkle."

The four of us got the things we needed and walked towards my father's classroom. The boys had just entered when I felt something light bounce off the back of my head.

I paused and turned around. A piece of crumpled up paper lay on the floor. Janitor Harley wouldn't like that, so I picked it up.

"You coming, Riles?" Maya asked, pausing to turn to me with a confused look on her face. I nodded.

"Yeah.. I'll be in in a minute," I said somewhat absentmindedly. I she hesitated for a moment, then went in.

I un-crumpled the paper. Written on it in red ink was a note... addressed to me. Or, at least the nickname only Maya ever used for me, on very rare occasions.

_Dear Little Plant,_

_Why do you even kid yourself? Lucas will never like you! He deserves a lady, like me. Not an immature little baby like you. Why don't you go stay in that locker and leave the boys to the big girls?_

_Not your friend,_

_Missy_

I grit my teeth, crumpling up the paper again, tossing it into a nearby trash can with surprisingly good aim, at least of awkward little me.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" a voice from behind me asked. I knew that voice. No one else had that same snotty, arrogant voice.

I whirled around. There, standing behind me with her trademark, ugly pink sweater, her straight brown hair tucked behind her ears with a headband, and an evil smirk on her face, was Missy Bradford.

I rolled my eyes, trying to just let it roll of my back like Maya does. "I loathe you," was all I said before entering the classroom.

The first bell hadn't even rung yet, and someone had already put a damper on my good mood. Granted, it was just Missy, so I could handle her, but still. I would later learn that this was just the calm before the storm.

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><p><strong>AN: So what'd you think? Pretty good for a first chapter, eh? Please, let me know what you think!**

**~Pebblemist~**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So a lot of people enjoyed the last chapter, huh? I'm glad! Let's continue, shall we?**

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><p><em>~~~<span>Riley's<span> Point Of View~~~ Chapter Two: Comforting Confessions _

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><p>I tried not to let Missy get to me. I swear to God I really did. But I couldn't. The words on that note were terrible, and I know that I shouldn't have believed them, but I, being my silly self, did.<p>

I couldn't concentrate on my father's class at all. I shifted in my seat, getting a bit restless. I could see my father give me curious glances. I averted his gaze, hoping he would forget me and continue his lesson. It seemed to work, at least for a few minutes.

"Psst, hey Riles," Maya leaned over to me, her blue eyes narrowed. "You okay?" she whispered.

I blinked. I'd thought I'd done a good job hiding my restlessness, especially since I had been making a conscious effort to hide it since Dad came close to calling me out on it. Apparently, I hadn't done as good of a job as I'd thought.

"Yeah... I'll talk to you after class, okay?" I whispered back. Maya hesitated for a second, then turned her attention back to my father. I did the same, trying my hardest to concentrate on his lesson on the writing of the Constitution. But I just couldn't do it.

Do you ever have those times when you want to do something, and you try and focus on that thing, but your mind doesn't listen to you? Your mind just kind of wanders, and you seem to be able to concentrate on everything _but _the thing you're trying to focus on in the first place? That is how you could describe what was going on.

Each second that ticked by felt like an eternity, and each minute that passed was an even longer eternity, if that was even physically possible, which I'm not completely sure it is, but whatever. You know what I mean! I finally gave up on listening to the lesson- I could just ask my dad later. I mean, I live with the guy!

And so my mind kind of drifted off. I could not stop thinking about the note Missy had written._She's right. __Lucas will never like me, will he? I'm just an immature little baby, huh?_

"Riley...? Riley...? Riley...?"

A hand was waved in front of my face. My brain wouldn't fully register it. My ears picked up my father's voice. He had turned to Maya.

"I got this, Mr. Matthews," she was saying. She stood up from her desk and approached mine, placing her palms on the edge of the desk and leaning down so that her face was just inches from mine.

"You got this, Maya?" Dad asked, his eyebrows raised. Maya nodded.

"EARTH TO RILEY! I REPEAT! EARTH TO RILEY!" she yelled.

I nearly jumped out of my skin (metaphorically speaking). I let out a squeal of surprise, throwing my hands over my ears.

"Eek!" I blurted out. The whole class burst into laughter. I slowly lifted my head up, cautiously surveying the classroom and painfully aware of my face turning red. I could feel my face burning as twenty-something pairs of eyes bore into me. I gulped. "Daddy?"

"How ya doin,' honey?" Dad asked with a wave of his hand, the look on his face containing a mixture of concern and confusion.

"D-did you call on me?"

He nodded. "Yes... Are you okay, honey?"

Defying impossibility, my face turned even redder and grew even hotter.

I knew I couldn't hide it anymore. The truth was bound to come out sometime, so I might as well speed it up. I let out a sigh.

"No... may I please be excused?" I asked. Dad hesitated.

"Fine..." he said after a few seconds.

"Thanks, Daddy," I said softly, standing up. I wanted to get out of that classroom as fast as I could. I sped-walked over to the door, taking one last glance behind me. Missy smirked at me as I left. I really hated that girl.

I stalked out of the room, letting the door slam behind me. I felt tears bubbling up in my eyelids, threatening to spill over any second. The more I tried to fight them, the harder it got, until I couldn't fight anymore, and they streamed down my face.

I walked past the trash can. The note was still there, sitting on the top. I snatched it out and read it again, choking back sobs.

I made my way down the hallway, stopping at Farkle's locker, where I had stuffed myself that day at the beginning of the year. It seemed like a good enough place to sulk now. I knew the combination, so in a matter of moments, I had stuffed myself into the locker, my knees pulled up to my chest and my arms wrapped around them, sobbing.

I don't know how long I sat there before Maya came. It might have been only a few seconds, but it also might have been minutes, or even hours (though I was a _little_ skeptical about it being hours. My best guess would be ten or fifteen minutes).

I heard a door open, then close. Then footsteps, heading in my direction. I balled myself up tighter inside the locker, hoping whoever it was wouldn't notice the girl crying inside of a locker. It was possible, I mean, my mom thought that the horse in my room was my father.

But I should have known that whoever it was would notice me.

"Riley?"

The footsteps got faster, until they stopped, and a pair of boots appeared in front of me. The girl wearing the boots crouched down so that she was eye to eye with me. I wiped a tear and didn't say a word.

"Riley?" Maya repeated. "Are you you okay? What's going on?"

"I live here now," I grumbled.

"What?" Maya blinked, confused. "Riley, what happened? You have to tell me."

"Thi-this," I choked out, my voice coming out at barely over a whisper. I handed her Missy's note. "This happened... Read it."

Maya opened up the piece of notebook paper. Her eyes slowly widened as they scanned the paper. Her jaw practically hit the floor, and smoke began to rise from her ears. She grit her teeth in anger.

"I'm going to jack her up," she growled. A strange light filled her eyes, and I was half expecting that she might start cackling maniacally, like the villains in the movies. She didn't, but she sure looked like she was thinking about it.

"Don't," I whispered.

Maya narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Don't," I repeated, more firmly than before.

"Why not? Riley, she has no right to treat you like that!"

"Yes, she does."

"What?" Maya blinked. "Riles...?"

I balled myself up tighter, whimpering.

I could see the gears turning in her head. A look of realization came upon her face.

"Riley... don't tell me you actually... _believe _what she said, do you?" Maya said, her voice tinged with disbelief. "Riley, you can't let her get to you. It's just Missy."

"But what if she's right, Maya?" I asked, fighting the tears. "What if I'm just kidding myself thinking that Lucas could like me? What if I am just an immature little baby, like she said?"

"Riley?" another voice chimed in. I hadn't even heard his footsteps. Two seconds later, I found myself staring into a pair of brilliant green eyes. "What's going on?"

"_Missy _has convinced her that she's an immature baby and that there's no way you could ever like her."

_ Honestly, Maya? _I thought, my face turning a brilliant shade of red. _She just _had _to mention the Lucas liking me part?_

"Missy? Well, we're just going to have to have a little talk with Missy, now, aren't we?" Lucas asked. "What exactly happened?"

"Show him the note," I moaned. Maya handed him the paper.

"That little..." Lucas's voice trailed off as he finished reading.

I didn't say a word. Now he knew- that I really was an immature little baby. He would never have feelings for me. How could I have been so stupid?

"Riley, look. You cannot let her get to you. Once you let her get to you, she will have you wrapped around her finger, and she'll never leave you alone."

"Too late for that," Maya muttered under her breath. "Riley, you _have _to listen to us. Remember when Billy teased Farkle? Farkle listened to us. Now it's _your_ turn."

"I..." I whispered. "I... I don't..."

"You don't what?" Maya asked. "You don't want to leave this locker? You don't want to stand up for yourself? What happened to the Riley I know, the one who would stand up for whatever she believed in?"

"She... she doesn't exist anymore," I finally choked out.

Lucas leaned forward, staring me in the eye. "This isn't the Riley I know," he said. "And I want to know _why_, and I want to know _now._"

I didn't know what to say. Even if I did have even the slightest idea of what to say, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have been able to say it. I tried to open my mouth, I tried to say something, anything, but no words would make it out. Not even the softest of whispers.

"Riley, come on," Maya said with un-Maya-like gentleness. "Why won't you talk to us?"

A door opened, then closed. A new voice joined in, followed by a new pair of footsteps.

"Maya? Lucas? What's going on?" Farkle asked. He came to stand by his locker, peeking into it. "Riley?"

"She's _trying _to be invisible," Maya informed him, gritting her teeth angrily.

"Invisible? Let me guess. Missy trouble?"

"Yep," Lucas said. "Care to help us, bud?"

Farkle nodded and looked me in the eye. "Riley, you know this. Trust me. This whole 'trying to be invisible' thing... it doesn't help. It never has and it never will."

"I know... "I whispered. "...but what she said... it's true. All of it."

"Riley, you can't really believe that," Lucas said. "You _can't _let what she says get to you. That's what gives her power. You _can't_ let her have any power over you."

"Riley, listen to him," Maya said softly. "Listen to _us._ You just have to. I want my Riley back."

"You know, guys," Lucas said, standing up. "I think I know how to handle this. You two can go back to class."

They both hesitated, eyeing Lucas suspiciously.

"You got this, Huckleberry?"Maya asked.

"Yeah... I do," Lucas nodded. "I got this.

"Then we'll see you at lunch?" Farkle asked.

"No," I muttered. "Food would only keep me alive."

No one heard me, or if they did, they ignored me.

"Hopefully," Lucas said. "Just go."

They left. Once they were out of earshot, Lucas turned back to me, kneeling down in front of the locker. He reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Do you know why what she said isn't true, Riley?"

"Why?" I whispered, my voice getting caught in my throat.

We locked eyes, and the butterflies in my stomach began to flutter wildly. His striking emerald green eyes met with my normal, plain-Jane brown ones. All I could hear was the sound of our hearts beating, rapidly against our chests. He was nervous... we both were.

Lucas bit his lip and took a deep breath. "Because... because I do like you, Riley... a lot. Every time I'm near you, I feel all nervous and awkward. I can never think straight, because every time you look at me, my mind turns to mush. When I see you frown, I would do anything to put that smile back on your face. And keep it there."

My jaw dropped. "L-Lucas, I-"

He didn't seem to hear me. "The truth is, I've always felt this way. Since that day on the subway, when Maya pushed you into my lap. But I never thought you could feel the same way. I mean, I knew you had a crush on me," _Was it really that obvious? _I thought. "But I thought it was just one of those stupid, little kid crushes, that every one gets, but never actually true love. I thought you were too good for me- I didn't think that you would never share the same feelings as me."

"But I do," I whispered. "I _do _feel the same way. _I_ thought that _you _were too good for _me. _I didn't understand how you could ever feel the same way... we're only twelve. I didn't even think we knew what love was. But now I think we do..."

"Maybe we don't know what love is," Lucas suggested. "But what I _do _know is that I never get this feeling anywhere else, with anyone else, and when I don't feel like this, I want to more than anything.

Lucas smiled, and my heart melted. He started to stand up. "Now what do you say we get you out of this locker?"

"But I can't," I said.

"Are you still telling me that you believe what Missy said?" he asked his eyes widening in alarm.

"No," I said instantly. "I think I'm stuck."

Lucas laughed and grabbed my hand, pulling me out, and lifting me to my feet. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him. I rested my head on his chest.

As if on que, the bell rang. Lucas and I pulled away from each other as people started leaving their classrooms. Maya and Farkle instantly came to us.

"You got her out!" Maya exclaimed.

I opened my mouth to say something, but cut myself off as I felt a tap on my shoulder. I whirled around.

"Wha- oh. It's you," I groaned. "Just the girl I didn't want to see."

Because standing behind me, in her pink sweater, was the bulldozer herself. The person I did not want to see. Missy Bradford.

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><p><span><em>To Be Continued<em>

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><p><strong>AN: So, yep. There we go. Chapter two! I'd appreciate some feedback. Please please please please leave a review on you way out! Have a great day!**

**~ Pebblemist**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow, guys! Thanks for all the positive feedback! Now for the first chapter in Maya's point of view! This should be interesting! Even _I'm_ a little curious to see where this goes. Now, look at me rambling :) Let's continue, shall we? Enjoy!**

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><p><em>~~~<span>Maya's Point Of View<span>~~~ Chapter Three: Sticks and Stones_

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><p>Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me. <em>Ha!<em> Whoever said _that _was a complete and utter idiot. Words do hurt, I had realized when dealing with Riley's dilemma. Sometimes they hurt more than physically getting hurt.

Missy Bradford was a terrible person. I hated that girl. I really did. She treats me and my friends like shit, she acts like she's the only person in this world that matters, and now she had taken it too far. _Way _too far.

Needless to say, I was _not _exactly in a good mood that day. It had started out okay, I guess. It was sunny, and nice out. But unlike Riley, who seemed to think a little sunshine made the day a gazillion times better, to me it was just another normal, ordinary day. Waking up to find that my mom had already left for work, going to Riley's, Mrs. Matthews forcing me to eat breakfast, Riley and I riding the subway to school.

But then the whole thing with Missy happened, and it really ticked me off. I know I overreacted, but I had a valid reason, okay? Let's just say it was a particular time of the month for me, if you have any idea what I mean. That's all you really need to know.

So, er, I had been sitting in Mr. Matthew's class after Lucas had made Farkle and I leave. Mr. Matthews was up at the board, excitedly explaining some boring facts about the Constitution, facts that probably weren't exciting at all and that he most likely didn't need to be enthusiastic about.

I wasn't paying attention at all.

Well, that was nothing new, really. I mean, I'm Maya Hart. Anyone who knows anything about me wouldn't be surprised that at all. They'd be surprised if I _was _paying attention.

But usually, when I'm not paying attention, I'm doodling in my notebooks or something. Now my mind had taken a trip and was kind of just wandering through dreamland. I was worried about Riley. Missy had broken my little plant, and I wasn't quite sure that Bucky McBoing-Boing was going to be able to fix her.

They weren't back by the time the bell rang. I was seriously worried. Riley wouldn't leave the locker and she would pull one of her 'food will only keep me alive' scams and she would sit there and starve to death. Okay, maybe that was a _little_ extreme. I have an active imagination, okay?

The class was dismissed, and as I packed up my things, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw it was Farkle.

"Sup," I grunted, shoving the last heavy book into my bag. "Wanna check on them?"

"Yeah, of course," he said, leading the way out of the classroom. "What if she's still in my locker?"

"Then we'll get her out," I said, trying my best to sound optimistic, but since optimism isn't really my thing, it sounded just about as fake as it was.

"We will?" Farkle asked as we reached the door."

"Yup," I nodded.

Farkle opened the door for me. "After you, m'lady," he said, bowing like only a dork would. I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the fluttering feeling in my chest as we locked eyes. It lasted for only a split second- then we parted.

"Th-thanks, Farkle," I stammered, stepping out into the hallways.

Lucas was standing in front of the locker, Riley in his arms with her head on his chest. I couldn't help but smile as they quickly pulled away from each other, obviously trying (and failing miserably) to act like they hadn't been doing anything.

Farkle and I decided with just one glance that we wouldn't say a thing about seeing their little hug, at least for the time being.

"You got her out!" I exclaimed, a grin slowly spreading across my face. Maybe the day wasn't going to be as bad as I thought.

Riley was beaming. She opened her mouth, presumably to say something, but then turned around.

Standing behind her was the evil she-devil, the bulldozer in the pink sweater herself. Missy Bradford, with that arrogant smirk that never seemed to leave her face.

"Wha-?" Riley paused. "Oh," she groaned. "It's you. Just the girl I _didn't _want to see."

"Oh, well it's nice to see you too," Missy said sweetly. "_Not."_

"I loathe you," I muttered, shooting the girl an icy glare.

"Missy, how could you have done this to Riley?" Lucas asked. I could tell he was trying to keep from losing his temper.

Missy batted her eyes innocently. "Whatever are you taking about?"

"You know what you did," Lucas said, glaring at her. "Admit it, Missy. We all know."

"I have know idea what you're talking about!" Missy cried, throwing her hands up. She was a terrible actress.

I was done. She hurts my best friend, then just denies it? No. That was not going to fly with me. So I did what i do best. I didn't think.

I lunged. Before I knew what I was doing, Missy was pinned to the lockers with an appalled look on her face. As if she were surprised that I would defend my best friend.

I let out a growl that was so animal like, it almost scare me. "You little-"

"Maya?!" Farkle yelled. I didn't really hear him.

"Maya!" Riley cried. I felt a tug on the hood of my sweatshirt. "What are you doing?"

"Wha... ?"I blinked, slowly coming to my senses and realizing what I was doing. I slowly backed away, feeling slightly numb.

"Maya! What were you thinking?" Riley cried. She was trying her best to be angry with me, but I knew she couldn't stay that way for long.

"You're cute when you try to be angry," I said dryly. She paused for a second, then rolled her eyes.

"What were you thinking?" she repeated.

I hung my head and sighed. "... I... I wasn't."

"Obviously," Missy scoffed, glaring at me. "You never think. It's part of what makes you need to grow up. But, I doubt _that's_ going to happen anytime soon."

"No," Riley said firmly, sort of surprising me. "It's not going to happen anytime soon." Was she agreeing with her? No. "You know why?"

"Oh?" Missy raised an eyebrow, leaning against the locker with a look of mock interest. "Why is that?"

"Because," Riley's voice wavered a bit. Her hands trembled, and I could tell she was terrified. But she powered through it, staring Missy in the eye. "We're twelve years old. This is seventh grade. We have _years _before we need to start growing up." she took a deep breath. "And just because _you _have decided to throw away your childhood and grow up faster than us, it doesn't mean that _we_ have to."

Missy snickered. "What do _you _know, anyways?" she asked with a smirk.

She lunged forward with a balled fist. Before I knew what was happening, her fist struck Riley's nose, and jumped back with a screech of pain, throwing her hands up in front of her face. A thick scarlet substance gushed from her nose. Blood.

"Riley!" Lucas pulled her closer to him. "Are you okay?"

"Mmmmph," she rested her head on his chest, starting to cry. Blood stained his shirt, but he didn't seem to care.

Missy scoffed. "The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, Missy," I said calmly. "It does."

"Maya," Farkle warned. "Don't be like her!"

I ignored him. In seconds, Missy was pinned to the locker again, and I had no intention of letting her go. I tuned out Farkle's cries and warnings. This girl had hurt my best friend more than once. She was going to pay.

Missy threw her hands up. "Don't hurt me!" she cried, batting her eyes innocently.

"Don't hurt you? _Don't hurt you? _Give me one good reason why I shouldn't?" Missy was silent. "Oh, I'm going to hurt you!" I aimed my punch, getting ready to throw it.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" chorused the students around us. I could hear Farkle yelling 'No fight! No fight!'

But before my fist could connect with her face, someone grabbed onto me, holding me by my armpits. I felt my feet leave the floor. I kicked, furious.

"Let go of me, Huckleberry!" I growled, kicking backwards in a failed attempt to hit a certain place.

"Boooooo!" students yelled.

"No, Maya," Lucas said firmly. "I want to hurt her as much as you do, but we can't. This is what she wants; for you to be like her. Don't resort to her methods."

"Put me down," I snapped. "_Now."_

Lucas sighed. "Okay. I'm going to put you down now. But when do, you're _not_ going to attack. Right?"

"Yeah, fine, whatever," I grumbled. He lowered me to the ground.

I approached Riley. She had her face buried in her hands, blood still flowing from her nose. She blinked up at me, her brown eyes wide. I opened my mouth to say something to comfort her.

"This fight isn't over," Missy declared from behind me. Before I could react, I felt hands pushing on my shoulders, and Missy lifted herself up, sitting on my shoulders with her legs wrapped around my neck so tightly it was hard to breath.

I staggered backwards, not strong enough to hold her. I fell back, taking Missy with me. I heard a _bang. _I had accidentally knocked Missy's head against the locker. Not hard enough to knock her out, unfortunately.

She let out a yelp of pain, letting go of me. I stood up, my legs shaking.

I heard a door open, then slam shut. Loud, fast footsteps heading towards me. A booming, angry sounding voice."

"What is going on here?"

I froze, suddenly terrified. I knew that voice, but I'd never heard it raised before. I whirled around. Standing behind me was Mr. Matthews.

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><p><span><em>To Be Continued<em>

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><p><strong>AN: Ooh! Cliffhanger! Dun dun dun!**

**Please, drop a review on you way out! I'd really appreciate it!**

**~Pebblemist~ **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Oh my! So many people wanting me to update! Well, I'm happy to oblige!**

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><p><em>~~~<span>Maya's Point Of View<span>~~~ Chapter Four: Justice Is Served_

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><p>Mr. Matthews took a long look at us. At Missy on the ground, at me standing over her. He looked at all of the bystanders, who were chatting excitedly with each other, whispers of 'did you see that?' and 'that was awesome!' and 'uh-oh, what's Mr. Matthews going to do?' reaching my ears.<p>

"Move along, move along," Mr. Matthews waved the students on. "Get to class, there's nothing to see here."

Everything seemed to get quieter and quieter as they scurried away, the sound of footsteps dying down as people entered their classrooms, until all I could hear was the fast thumping of my own heartbeat, pounding itself against my chest as if it were trying to escape. I took in a few short, ragged breaths. I don't think I'd ever felt so terrified in all of my twelve years of living.

_Oh, no, _I thought. _This can't be good... this isn't good at all._

Mr. Matthews kept his gaze fixed on me, as if he were waiting for me to explain. His face was red, and I could almost see the smoke rising up from his ears. I gulped hard, then looked at him, ready to attempt to explain.

I took a deep breath. "Mr. Matthews, I-"

"Maya," he interrupted sternly. "This is the kind of example you set for my daughter? _Fighting in school?_" his voiced raised with every word, sounding angrier and angrier. I had never heard him be so loud or get so angry in all the years I'd known the guy. "You know better than that! You've gone _way _too far!"

Farkle butted in. "But sir, she was just-"

He ignored him. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

I suddenly became very interested in the ground.

"I-I..." as much as I tried to keep it steady, my voice faltered. Here he was, the only father figure I'd ever had, and he was screaming at_ me_, ticked of at _me_. My hands trembled, and my heart raced as fast as a hummingbird's. I fought back the tears that welled up in my eyes. I couldn't cry, not in front of my friends, and definitely not in front of Missy. They were _not _allowed to see me like this. I wasn't going to let them."I'm... I'm sorry, sir." I whispered.

"You know what, Maya?" Mr. Matthews asked, his voice breaking. "I am, too. You took it too far this time. I'm sorry, but this school has a no-fighting policy. I am going to have to report this-"

"Doe!" Riley cried through her hands, coming to stand in front of her father. Her voice was muffled and squeaky. "She wad dust defendig be!"

"Riley?" Mr. Matthews went from mad-as-hell teacher mode to overprotective father mode in a matter of seconds. He was at her side instantly, kneeling down in front of her and removing her hands from her face. "Who did this to you?" he asked, appalled by the blood that continued to flow from his daughter's nose.

"Id wad Biddy," Riley whispered, burying her face into her hands again. "Baya wad defendig be."

All heads turned to Missy.

Missy was on her feet now, rubbing her head. She took one look at the enraged look on Mr. Matthew's face and bolted. She made it about two yards before the back of her ugly pink sweater was caught by Lucas. He led her back to us.

"Going somewhere, Miss Bradford?" Mr. Matthews asked, pulling Riley into a protective embrace.

"Trying to be invisible, are you, Missy?" Lucas added.

"She's lying!" Missy cried, pointing at me. "It was her! I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Stob lyig!" Riley said softly. "You doe whad you'b done."

"It's true, sir," Lucas said. "Missy punched Riley, and Maya defended her. I stopped her from fighting, and Missy jumped her."

"Maya didn't do anything wrong," Farkle added. I couldn't help but smile. They were all defending me. Farkle turned in my direction, smiling up at me with those bright blue eyes of his sparkling. The butterflies in my stomach fluttered wildly when I heard what her said next. "She's innocent."

_Innocent? _I blinked, trying to force down the grin that kept trying to make its way onto my face. I couldn't help but think of that day, back at the beginning of the school year, when I had insisted to Mr. Matthews that I was the opposite of innocent.

_"Dad, you have a choice here," Riley explained to her father. "You can either understand that this is just a boy talking to me in the cafeteria-"_

_"I'm gonna do whatever you say next!" Mr. Matthews said._

_"But this is so innocent!" She protested._

_"Honey, fathers don't see anything as innocent," he told her. "We see it as... what's the opposite of innocent?"_

_I raised my hand, grinning. "Right here!"_

_Oh, the irony, _I thought to myself. _Here I am, months later, trying to convince him that I _am _innocent. What has this world come to?__  
><em>

"Who are you going to believe more?" Missy spat angrily, glaring daggers at my friends and I. "The words of pathetic little brats like _these people," _she gestured to us. "Or a mature, _grown up _like me?"

"Miss Bradford, these _'pathetic little brats'_ happen to be my daughter and her friends," Mr. Matthews said. I could tell he was struggling to keep his temper in check. "And _I_ happen believe them."

"Favoritism!" Missy cried. "You're showing favoritism! You shouldn't even be a teacher!"

"Oh, so now you're lying to me? You get into a fight, and the you _lie to me! _You're only getting yourself into deeper trouble!

"It's not a matter of favoritism, Missy," Farkle told her, sounding surprisingly calm. "You're greatly outnumbered. Four against one. Why do you even try?"

Missy looked down, studying her feet with sudden interest. "Fine... I did it, okay?" she said after a moment's hesitation. "I hit Riley, I fought Maya. Are you happy now?"

"Missy, go to the principle's office," Mr. Matthews growled firmly. "_Now. _And you three-" he looked at Lucas, Farkle, and me- "Please escort Riley to the nurse. I have a referral to fill out and phone calls to make."

Missy huffed. With one last glare at all of us, she stalked off in the direction of the principal's office. Mr. Matthews had disappeared into his classroom, leaving the four of us alone in the hallways.

Lucas wrapped Riley in his arms, leaning down so that they were eye to eye. "Are you okay?" he asked. I could see her heart melt.

"Y-yeah," she sniffled, blinking at him with her big brown eyes. I smiled. Those two were perfect for each other. It didn't take rocket science to figure that out.

The four of us walked down the halls, Farkle and I just a few steps behind Lucas and Riley. The two of them snuggled against each other, whispering quietly. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but when Riley made that 'hmmm' sound she'd made when she first laid eyes on Lucas, I knew that whatever he had said had made her happy. That's really all that mattered to me.

"They're perfect for each other, aren't they?" Farkle asked, as if he'd read my thoughts.

"Yeah," I smiled. "They are."

"Do you know who else are perfect for each other?"

I knew exactly where this was going. "Who, Farkle?" I asked with a sigh.

"You and I," Farkle said flirtatiously. I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the way my heart fluttered in my chest.

"Yeah, in your dreams," I told him, my voice not coming out as confidently as I intended it too. _And mine... not that I would ever say that out loud. I have a reputation to keep. I can't let anything get away of that, not even Farkle ...but... why does it hurt so much?_ _  
><em>

We were silent for a few minutes. The only sounds were those that were made by our footsteps.

"Maya?" Farkle broke the silence. "What was that about?"

I knew what he was talking about. The way I had said 'in your dreams.' I didn't have my emotions completely in check after the fight with Missy and being yelled at by Mr. Matthews. But I played dumb, at least for the time being.

"What was what about?" I asked.

"Don't play dumb with me, Maya," Farkle said. "Farkle knows that you know what I'm talking about."

"Well, all I know is that whatever it is that you know must be wrong because I don't know what you're talking about."

"Maya, stop playing dumb." I didn't say a thing. Farkle sighed. "Fine, I will tell you what know. There was something in the way you told me that we were perfect for each other in my dreams. Your tone of voice... I've never heard you use it before."

He found me out. How was I going to get out of this? I prayed for a way to get out of for me, we had just arrived at the nurse's office.

"I'll take her in," Lucas said, turning to face us. "You two can go to class."

_Thank God for the cowboy! _I thought, a grin slowly coming to my face. I could avoid Farkle, get out of this conversation. This was fantastic!

"Well, Farkle, nice talking too ya!" I said, skipping away and feeling almost like a five year old. "Gotta go to class!"

"But Maya!" he called after me. But I ignored him. I was gone.

The last bell rung, dismissing us from our last class of the day. I left my class, stopping by my locker to get my books. Riley had gone home early, so it would just be me on the subway today. I didn't mind that much; Riley needed to rest. She wasn't gonna get any of that with me around, that was for sure. It wouldn't be a huge deal. I would just be home alone. I was a big girl. I could handle myself.

I walked through the hallways, tuning out the conversations around me. Two out of three were about the fight today, and I did not wish to be reminded of it.

"Maya!" a familiar voice called out. My heart skipped a beat, and I put a little more pep in my step. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be.

"Maya!" Farkle repeated. "Maya, please talk to me!"

I broke into a run. I burst through the doors and sprinted down the stairs, taking off down the sidewalk. Farkle was still behind me. I could hear him panting with effort, still trying to catch up to me. he wasn't going to be able to run for much longer. I just had to hold out till- Oof!

My legs flew out from under me. Suddenly, I was on the ground. The breath had been knocked out of me.

"Maya!" Farkle was at my side in a instant. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." I panted, standing up. My legs wobbled a bit, but I managed to hold myself up pretty well. "Damn uneven sidewalk."

"I wanted to talk to you," Farkle said gently.

"Well I don't want to talk, Farkle!" I cried, throwing my hands up in frustration. "What's so important that it can't wait until tomorrow?"

"Look, about earlier," Farkle began, but I didn't let him finish.

"Farkle, I don't have time for this," I said. "My mom.. she gets out of work early today, so we're going to... hang out," I lied. Not my best lie, but whatever. Farkle seemed to accept it.

"Okay," he said softly. "I'll.. see you tomorrow..."

We both went off in our separate directions. Once I felt that we were far enough away, I let it out. The tears streamed down my face, and as quickly as I wiped them away, more replaced them. Why was life so difficult? It felt like it was all a cruel joke. I was doomed to never be truly happy, wasn't I?

I went down to the subway station, hoping beyond hope that the one person I wanted to see would be there. By some rare stroke of luck, there she was, sitting on her usual bench.

"Yo, Crazy Hat!" I called, my voice breaking a bit. As much as I tried to sound happy, I couldn't bring myself to. Not that it really mattered- I was still crying.

At the sound of my voice, Evelyn 'Crazy Hat' Rand turned in my direction with a grin on her face. "Well, if it isn't my dollies- are you okay?" her grin slowly faded as she took a look at me. She patted the seat next to her, expecting me to sit.

I sat.

"Why must life be so difficult?" I asked.

"I've wondered that very same thing myself on many occasions," Evelyn said. "Now, what's going on? Where's Riley?"

I explained to her everything that had happened, the whole thing with Missy. "But that's not why I'm upset. I'm torn. There's this boy, Farkle-"

"_The _Farkle? The one who wanted to make 'cash, cabbage, cheddar cheese?'"

"Yeah," I told her. "He's just about the weirdest little guy in the world. But when I'm around him, I get this feeling... I think I like him, but I have my reputation to keep. Something tells me liking Farkle won't exactly help with that."

Evelyn though about this. "Listen, Maya. You can't hide your feelings just for the sake of something as petty as your reputation. If you bottle up your feelings, one day, you'll just explode! You don't want that to happen, do you?"

I smiled weakly, shaking my head. "I don't," I admitted.

"The heart wants what the heart wants, Maya. Give it what it wants."

The subway I needed pulled in right then. I smiled at Evelyn as I stood up. "Thanks, Crazy Hat." I told her. "Tomorrow. I'll do it tomorrow.

Evelyn waved at me as I stepped onto the train. The doors closed before she could say anything, but I knew what she wanted to say. And the next day, I was going to give my heart what it wanted. Nothing was going to stop me.

At least, that's what I thought.

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, guys! That's it for this chapter! See you next time, and thanks for reading! Please please please drop a review on the way out! Thanks!**

**~Pebblemist~**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Yet another chapter in Maya's point of view, guys! Don't worry, though! I'll work some Liley in there somewhere, even if this is centering on Maya! This also includes a scene from Girl Meets Boy, which I (sadly) do not own. Hope you enjoy!**

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><p><em>~~~<span>Maya's Point Of View<span>~~~ Chapter Five: Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now_

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><p>Today was the day. I was going to forget my stupid reputation, like Crazy Hat had said. I was going to let Farkle know how I felt, and there was<em> nothing <em>that could stop me.

I was bubbling over with confidence. This was going to be _my_ day. I wasn't going to hide my feelings anymore. I wasn't going to let myself explode. I would give my heart what it wanted.

"... and he told me that he loves me!" Riley said dreamily. She was in the middle of describing the events that had taken place while she was stuffed inside of the locker the day before. She looked really excited, and was in a pretty good mood for someone who had been punched in the face the day before. She had this dreamy look in her eyes. I was afraid she might faint just thinking about it.

"That's great, Riles," I said for about the millionth time. She had called me last night and told me the story so many times, I knew it word for word. It was getting annoying, but I figured that she would calm down sooner or later. Besides, it was kind of amusing to see her so passionate about Lucas. She kept rambling on about they were going to be "the next Cory and Topanga" and what not. I guess what was so funny was seeing her refer to them as 'Cory and Topanga' instead of 'Dad and Mom.' I don't really know.

The subway car slowed to a stop. It was the station we needed to get off at, so I grabbed Riley by her wrist and dragged her off of the train. She stumbled a bit.

"You okay, Riles?" I asked her. She blinked up at me, her brown eyes wide.

"Whoa-wha-where am I?" Riley looked around. "I went off on another Lucas rant, didn't I?" She giggled."You know you can just tell me to shut up if I'm getting annoying, Maya."

"Yeah, I know. But you're cute when you get all dreamy like that." I smirked. Riley rolled her eyes.

As we left the station, I realized just how beautiful of a day it was. I took a deep breath, taking in the crisp, fresh air. The sky was clear and blue, not a cloud in sight. A cool breeze blew, blowing my hair into my face. I laughed, brushing a strand of golden-blonde out of my eyes.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" I asked, turning to Riley. The brunette stared like I'd grown a second head, a confused look on her face.

"Who are you and what have you done with Maya?" she cried, trying to look intimidating. She failed miserably.

I snorted. "I guess I'm just in a good mood today, Riles." I told her. "C'mon, let's get to school."

Riley blinked, appalled. "Wait... did _Maya Hart _just say that she _wanted _to go to _school?"_

I laughed. She did have a valid reason to be shocked; 'Maya' and 'school' were two words you didn't typically hear in the same sentence without the word 'hates' in the middle. But then again, I hadn't told her about my talk with Evelyn, or even my feelings for Farkle. I don't know why, but I guess it just never came up.

"Come on," I linked arms with her. "Let's go!"

"Ooh, I like this new Maya!" Riley chirped happily. as I dragged her away.

There he was. Gathering his books from his locker. My heart fluttered as I watched him. I couldn't help but stare, stopping at the corner so that if he happened to look up I could quickly hide.

"What are you staring at?" Riley piped up. I jumped- I had almost forgotten that she was there.

"Nothing," I said, trying to act innocent. But Riley wasn't stupid. She saw right through my act. she placed her hands on her hips.

"You were staring at something," she said accusingly. "... or _someone," _her eyes widened in realization. "You were staring at Farkle!" she cried, a grin spreading across her face.

My face grew hot as it turned a bright red color. "No I wasn't," I lied.

She ignored me. "I knew it! You like Farkle!"

"Okay, fine... I like Farkle, okay?" I admitted. "Now I would prefer it if you _didn't _ go around announcing it to the world, Riles. At least not until I tell him."

"Ooh, you go, girl!" Riley squealed happily. She roughly pushed me forward, forcing me in Farkle's direction.

I took a deep breath, gathering my courage, and approached him. "... Hey, Farkle," I said. "How ya doing?"

He looked up and studied me for a few seconds, narrowing his eyes. "Hey, Maya," he said after a what felt like ages. He turned around and walked away without giving me a chance to say anything else.

I blinked, and my jaw practically hit the floor. I didn't know what was going on. _That wasn't supposed to happen, _I thought. My heart ached as I watched him leave. _Did he really just... walk away?_

"Maya?" Riley tapped my shoulder. "What just happened? He looked really mad..."

"He's mad at me," I told her, feeling numb.

"Why would he be mad at you?" she asked. "He loves you. He's made that clear _millions _of times."

I sighed, and forced myself to look at her. The concerned look on her face, the innocence in those big brown eyes. I needed to tell her what had happened the day before. I couldn't hide it. I wouldn't pretend with her.

"Riles, I messed up... I messed up big time."

"What?" Riley blinked.

As we walked to our lockers to get our books, I told her everything. About our conversions on the way to the nurse, about Farkle chasing me after school, about how I had lied to him. With every word, I felt worse and worse. I felt like a idiot.

"If I had told him sooner, this wouldn't be happening," I finished, shoving my unneeded books into my locker as I forced back the tears.

"Maya, you don't know that," Riley said. "Everything happens for a reason, Maya. Something good _has _to come out of this."

"Riley, I'm not like you," I told her, every word piercing my heart like a dagger, stabbing over and over again. "You see the good in everyone and everything. I don't. I've been an idiot, Riley. I should have known this would happen. I... I was just blinded by my hope. You hope for things, you get disappointed."

Riley looked confused. "Maya...?"

I wasn't listening. I clutched my history books close to my chest and walked away, leaving her there, dumbfounded.

Mr. Matthews stood at the front of the classroom, saying something about how important history is. I wasn't really paying attention.

I kept glancing back at Farkle. He just sat there, not participating at all. The class seemed... quieter somehow. I didn't like it, not one bit.

My mind kept wandering, back to the a night back at the beginning of the school year, during the No Cell Phones assignment. The moment my world had turned upside down. I could close my eyes, and relive that moment, over and over again.

_"People used to need places like this," Farkle was saying. "Now we can hold everything that's here in a little device we can put in our pockets. I don't even need to look out this window to know what phase the moon is in or where the stars are."_

_"Yeah, well, I don't have a phone like that, I just have the actual sky." I told him, staring at the sketch I'd been working on while I was supposed to have been taking notes. It was just a rough sketch of the night sky. Nothing special, really._

_"Oh, I'm so sorry for you," Farkle said. "You're at a real disadvantage. That can be the basis of our presentation, okay? Wanna read back the notes?"_

_I paused. "What notes?"_

_"You weren't taking notes?"_

_"No..." I said. Farkle sighed._

_"You know, why bother?" he asked, his frustration showing in his voice. "Without a computer, all we have is a pencil and a pad. What could we possibly do with that?" he took the pad of paper from my hands. His breath caught in his throat as he laid eyes on my drawing. "Maya," he whispered, surprised. "I had no idea."_

_I smiled weakly. "Yeah..." I said. "Neither did I."_

That was the moment. The moment when I realized that I, Maya Hart, was in L.U.V. with Farkle Minkus. It was both the best and worst moment of my life.

I couldn't do this anymore. I couldn't. I raised my hand, my arm shaking.

"Yes, Miss Hart?" Mr. Matthews asked, confusion evident on his face.

"May I be excused?" I asked, trying my best to keep my voice from wavering.

"... Why?" Mr. Matthews asked. "We're in the middle of review for the test tomorrow."

"I have to go to the bathroom," I lied.

"Is it an emergency?"

_Oh my God, did he seriously just ask that? _"Yes," I lied.

He seemed to take that as an answer.

"Okay then. Go."

I stood up, leaving my bag at my desk so that no one would suspect anything. I didn't have to worry. Once she realized that I wasn't coming back, Riley would bring it for me. I'd drop by her house later to pick it up.

I exited the classroom and stepped into the hallway, taking a deep breath before continuing. I paused as I passed the classroom window- Riley and I locked eyes through the glass. She mouthed 'why?'

I just shook my head and walked away.

As soon as I was past the window, I broke into a run. The only sounds reaching my ears were the echoes of my footsteps and the choking of my sobs. I burst out the door and down the stairs. I needed to get my thoughts together, and I wasn't going to be able to do that at school.

I sprinted down the sidewalk. I was going to the subway station. I needed to talk to Evelyn. I needed her advice.

My lungs were killing me before I was even close to the station, but I didn't want to stop. I ran until I collapsed, landing on the ground, breathing heavily. Once I regained my breath, I stood up again, my legs wobbling.

Now the noise of the bustling city greatly drowned out my sobs. Cars whizzed past me. I stood there for a moment, just watching them.

Boy, that was a terrible mistake.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a truck. A maroon Ford F150. It was swerving in and out of traffic, even getting onto the sidewalk. If I squinted, I could see through the dark tinted windows that the lady had her phone in her hands. Her eyes were locked onto the screen, not on the road before her.

The truck was coming towards me.

I wanted to run. I really tried, but my muscles wouldn't listen to me. I was frozen in place, the terror rising up in me getting stronger and stronger by the second.

Suddenly, I was flying through the air, an ear-splitting shriek escaping my lips. I crashed to the ground, the breath knocked out of me. Pain shot through me, and I thought I heard a crack.

The truck didn't stop there. It kept rolling.

I let out and agonized scream as I was crushed by the vehicle. From what I could see, there was blood everywhere. I felt light-headed, not to mention I was in more pain then I'd ever been in in my _entire life. _

The truck stopped with my arm under the front tire, the door flying open. The young lady at the wheel stepped out. She was a teenager, couldn't have been more than 16 or 17. She took one look at me and her jaw dropped.

"Oh my God!" she shrieked, pulling out her phone. She dialed 911... or at least I hoped.

Tears streamed down my face. My breathing came in ragged gasps. _Pain... so much pain... _I whimpered.

"Help... me!" I managed to say, my voice coming out at barely over a whisper. The girl who had done this to me began to bawl.

"Send an ambulance, please!" she told the operator. "She's so young! She can't die!"

The edges of my vision began to turn black. I was losing consciousness, fast. _I can't die here, _I thought. _Mr. Matthews... __Riley.. Lucas... Farkle..._ _I-I don't want to leave without saying goodbye... if I have to go... please let me say goodbye..._

I closed my eyes, and within seconds, my world had been swallowed by darkness.

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><p>~~~<span><em>To Be Continued<em>

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><p><strong>AN: Oh, boy. You guys are gonna hate me now, aren't you? Tehee... You'll just have to stay tuned to find out what happens! As always, please leave a review on your way out! Have a great day!**

**~Pebblemist~**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay, I guess I need to update fast before I get killed be angry fangirls, eh? :) Now we get to see how Riley will react to this. I want to thank Bethany Tucker for her help with getting me through my writer's block. I also should have mentioned this last chapter, but I have to thank cowgirlangle95 for helping me with ideas for chapter 5. **

**Enjoy! Also, SHAWN IS BACK! SHAWN IS BACK! SHAWN IS BACK! I'M FANGIRLING SO HARD RIGHT NOW! SHAWN IS BACK! SHAWN IS BACK! Who else can't wait for Girl Meets Home For the Holidays? I know I'm not the only one, right?**

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><p><em>~~~<span>Riley's Point Of View<span>~~~ Chapter Six: Some Tragic News_

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><p>If I had thought the day before was terrible, then it was nothing compared to what happened next. Now, don't get me wrong; I was <em>over the moon <em>excited about Lucas feeling the same way about me, but watching Maya get into a fight and being sent home from school because of a bloody nose _wasn't_ exactly my idea of the best day ever.

Anyways, as soon as she picked me up from school that day, I could sense something different about Maya. The way she talked, they way she walked, as if she had been spending too much time around me lately, and I had rubbed off on her. (Why couldn't it be the other way around?) And when she confessed to me that she like Farkle, I knew exactly what was going on.

But then the broken look on her face when Farkle was mad at her, how she had forced back the tears. She was crushed.

I wanted to stop her. I knew she didn't have to go to the bathroom. I knew she would leave school. I had even asked her why she was doing it, when we locked eyes through the window. But I didn't do anything further than that. I thought she would come to her senses herself, and I was wrong.

The seconds after she left ticked by. The seconds turned into minutes, until about ten minutes had passed, when my dad stopped class to check the time.

"She's been gone for ten minutes," he said, sounding frustrated. "Will somebody please go check on her?"

I opened my mouth, but Farkle beat me to it. jumping to his feet.

"I'll go check on her, sir!" he blurted out. Dad raised an eyebrow.

"She would be in the _girl's _bathroom, Farkle," he told him. The class began to giggle. Even I couldn't keep it in.

Farkle sat down, his face turning a bright, cherry red color. "Right... sorry, sir."

"Yeah, okay," Dad shrugged it off, pretending it didn't happen. "Anyone else?"

"I'll go," I said, standing up and walking out without waiting for an answer. I knew what I would find. She wouldn't be there.

She wasn't. I peered into the lady's room and called her name. No answer.

I made it back to class just as the bell rang. After fighting my way back into the classroom- do you know how hard it is to get through a doorway when a whole class of hungry kids are going in the direction you're coming from?- to get Maya's and my bags to find my father sitting at his desk, on his cell phone. It was now his planning period, so it wasn't unusual. What was unusual was the look on his face, and that Lucas and Farkle were standing were standing in front of him.

"What's going on?" I asked, quickly running over to them, just as Dad hung up. He looked up at us, trembling slightly. Almost all of the color had drained from his face, and tears streamed down his face. My heart raced. I knew something was wrong.

"It's Maya... she left school. There w-was some girl texting and driving.. she was..." Dad choked back sobs.

I leaned forward, my heart feeling like it would break. "She was what?" I asked, panic rising in my voice.

Lucas quickly grabbed onto my hand, squeezing it tightly. I pressed up against him, terror bubbling up inside of me.

"She was hit by a car," Dad finally choked out. "I.. I just got the call. They're taking her to the hospital now. She's... she's not doing well."

"What?!" I screeched. My mind raced as I tried to comprehend what I was being told. I stomped my foot, snatching my hand away from Lucas.

"Riley, calm down!" Lucas cried, his voice breaking.

"No! No no no no no!" I cried, my heart shattering into a million pieces. "This isn't happening! It _can't _be! She has to be okay, she just _has _to!"

Dad jumped up from his desk, pulling me into a hug. I tried to pull away, but he was too strong for me. I looked up at him, fighting back the tears. "She's going to be okay, isn't she, Daddy?"

He rubbed my back. "I wish I could say yes, sweetie, I really do, but I can't. It's the truth, and it hurts, but we don't know if she'll make it or not. The doctors will do everything they can, but in the end, it's in God's hands."

"I want to see her..." I whispered.

"So do I," Lucas added, worry in his voice.

"This is all my fault!" Farkle wailed, surprising all of us.

"Farkle, that's ridiculous!" Dad cried. How could any of this possibly be your fault?"

"She left because of me..." Farkle whispered, staring at the ground with light glistening off of his wet, tear-streaked cheeks. "I-I was mad at her for how she treated me yesterday, and I avoided her this morning, and she left. Because of me. This wouldn't be happening if it weren't for me!"

"Farkle, look," Lucas said firmly. "None of this is your fault, understand? You _can't _blame yourself for this. Maya wouldn't want you to blame yourself, would she."

Farkle sniffled, shaking his head. "No..."

"Then don't," I added, my voice shaking. I felt numb. It wasn't even lunchtime, and this day was quickly spiraling out of control. It was shaping up to be the worst day of my life.

Every agonizing second ticked by slowly, as if time enjoyed playing with my heart. I shifted uncomfortably in the hard plastic waiting room chair. The last time I had sat in one of these was almost six years ago, when Auggie was born. That had been a happy occasion. I was getting a new baby brother. What seven-year old girl wouldn't have been happy about that?

This was just the opposite. I could have been losing my best friend. No one, no matter what age, would be happy about that. Am I wrong?

I felt like I was going to suffocate, what with my dad on one side of me, squeezing my hand and whispering that it was going to be alright, and Lucas on the other squeezing my hand even tighter. I rested my head on his shoulder, trying to come to terms with the fact that my best friend might have been dying at that very moment.

A nurse came walked into the waiting room. "Maya Hart?" she asked. Dad stood up.

"That would be us," he said. The lady eyed us quizzically.

"Are you her family?"

"Well, no, not exactly." Dad told her. "Not by blood. But she's just as much part of our family as my daughter is."

"Very well then. Miss Hart is not awake, but she is allowed visitors."

We all stood up, expect for Farkle.

"Are you coming, buddy?" Lucas asked. Farkle shook his head solemnly.

"I-I want to be alone with her when I see her, if that's alright, sir,"

The nurse led us to the room Maya was in, opening the door for us. I lingered in the hallway for a moment, taking deep breaths.

"You okay, Riley?" Lucas asked.

"Y-yeah... I'm fine," I lied. He studied me for a second more, then placed his hand on my lover back, guiding me into the room. My breath caught in my throat as I saw her.

From head to toe, she was covered in cuts and scrapes. She was hooked up to more machines then I could count. There were tire marks on all over her. Her eyes were closed. Her face was still. In fact, the only movement she made was the steady rise and fall of her chest.

"Maya," I wailed, running to her side. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I tried to choke back the sobs, but I couldn't. I had to let it out.

Lucas was near me in an instant, wrapping his arms around me in a protective embrace. He stroked my hair, whispering "I know... I know..." I felt his teardrops drip onto my back. He was crying, too.

Honestly, I was half expecting my father to break us up, but he didn't. Instead, he approached the bed, sitting down on the edge and staring at Maya. He took a hold of her hand and whispered something about staying strong and not giving up, and about how she has a family that loves and cares about her. Us.

We stayed there for what felt like ages. When Dad finally stood up and said it was time to go so that Farkle could have some time alone with her, I realized that I didn't want to go just yet.

"Can I have a few minutes alone with her?" I asked, my voice coming out as a pitiful squeak. Dad sighed.

"Fine. I hav-have to call your mother, anyways. C-come out when you're done."

He left the room, as if he couldn't bare to be there any longer. Lucas hesitated before pulling away from me.

"Riley, are you sure you're okay to be here alone?" he asked. "I need to get home to help with supper, but if you aren't, I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind..." he finished awkwardly. I shook my head.

"N-no... Just go. I'll be fine."

He took one last look at Maya, then left. I walked to her side, squeezing her hand. "Alone at last, huh..." I whispered. I thought I saw her eyelids flutter, but it was probably just my imagination.

All I wanted was for her to open her eyes, for her to smirk up at me and tell me that this was just a joke, a prank that everyone knew about except me. But I knew better than to hope like that. Like Maya would say, you hope for things, you get disappointed.

"Maya," I whispered. "You have to stay. I don't know what I would do without you... you're my best friend... you can't leave me, not yet... just don't go."

My tears fell onto her still face. She didn't move, even as much as I wanted her too. Then the realization hit me, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I might never see Maya awake ever again.

But I couldn't think like that. I just couldn't. I had to stay strong, for Maya's sake.

I stood up, my knees shaking. I staggered towards the door, taking one last, longing look at her. She looked so peaceful, something that almost never happened when she was awake. it only hurt my heart more.

"'Bye, Maya," I told her, not expecting a reply. "You just have to stay strong, okay? We'll get through this together, like we always do."

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><p><em>~~~<span>To Be Continued<span>~~~_

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><p><strong>AN: Okie-dokie! So next up, we have Farkle's point of view and his thoughts on all this. Will Maya be okay? What will Riley do if she isn't? You'll just have to stick around to find out! Please drop a review on your way out! I wanna know what you think! Any ideas? Anything I could improve on? Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!**

**~Pebblemist~ **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I was unaware of it until recently, but according to the guest 'UrFriendtheNinja' there is a Pebblemist Nation. So holy moly, I got me an army! :) Okay, guys, so now we get to see how Farkle is reacting to all of this. Enjoy!**

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><p><em>~~~<span>Farkle's Point Of View<span>~~~ Chapter 7: I Don't Want To Let You Go_

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><p>I knew they were just trying to make me feel better. I'm a genius, I'm not stupid. It didn't matter what Riley and Lucas told me. It was my fault, there was no way anyone could deny that. Maya was seriously hurt, because I had gotten mad and rejected her.<p>

I wasn't sure I could do this without breaking down. As much as I wanted to see her, I was terrified to see how hurt she was. It was all I could do not to start bawling as I waited outside for Riley to come out.

My head shot up as the door creaked open. Riley paused in the doorway, glancing back into the room.

"Bye, Maya," I heard her whisper, her voice breaking. "You just have to stay strong, okay? We'll get through this together, like we always do."

She turned away, shutting the door behind her and staring at the ground. Tears streamed down her face as she turned to me. "What are we going to do, Farkle?" she asked, her brown eyes burning with so much ferocity it was almost scary. "A world without Maya is a world I _don't_ want to live in."

"I don't... I don't know what we're going to do, Riley," I told her, my voice wavering. "I-I just know that I feel terrible about all this.

"Farkle, y-you're not still blaming yourself for this, are you?" Riley asked, narrowing her eyes.

"N-no," I stammered.

If Riley didn't believe me, she didn't make it clear. She just sighed, shaking her head. "I have to go find my dad. I-I have to keep believing that things are going to be okay. Bye..."

I watched her go, waiting until she disappeared around the corner to start crying. I pressed myself against the wall, taking deep breaths. _Breathe in... breathe out... breathe in... breathe out. _I shut my eyes tightly,trying to force back the tears. "Come on, Farkle... get a hold of yourself," I whispered.

I gathered my courage, approaching the door. My hand was shaking uncontrollably as I twisted the doorknob. My breath caught in my throat, and my heart stopped as I peered into the room.

That beautiful face, covered in cuts and scrapes. There were so many bandages, wrapped around her arms and legs. From what I could see of her arms, there were tire marks.

I slowly stepped up to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it. I took a hold of her hand. It was so soft, so cold. I might have thought she was dead if it wasn't for the steady rise and fall of her chest and the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor.

My tears dripped onto her arm. I wished she would move, show some sign of life other than breathing. I wanted nothing more than for her to open up those ocean blue eyes of hers, for that ever-present smirk to reappear on her pale face.

My heart ached. I didn't really know what to do, so I started to talk. "Hey, Maya... I know you probably can't hear me, but... I'm sorry." I tried to choke back the sobs. "I know this is all my fault... if you died, I'd never forgive myself. You don't deserve to die like this..." I let out a whimper. "I don't want to let you go..."

...

Days passed. Every day after school, Riley, Lucas, and I would leave school and go straight to the hospital to see Maya. The news was the same every time. She wasn't getting any better, but she wasn't getting any worse. Probably the most heartbreaking thing about it was how Riley reacted. She would be all excited, hoping to hear that her best friend was better, but when the news came, the way her face would fall, the hurt look in her eyes, like her heart was shattering into a million pieces. She wasn't taking this very well.

In fact, I think she was taking this worse than everyone in the school, maybe excluding me. Yeah, the whole school knew about what happened, but no one really cared except for me, Riley, and Lucas.

It was on a Tuesday, roughly two weeks after the accident, that everything changed.

The bustling of the lunchroom was louder than ever, yet the atmosphere around our table was silent, and not the good kind. It was an awkward kind of silence, one that none of us seemed to want to break.

"It's been two weeks since I've been called Ranger Rick," Lucas finally said, shattering the silence. Riley didn't say a thing.

"I know," I added.

Riley pushed her food around her plate, staring at it, her normally bright brown eyes dull. She hadn't even taken one bite. She was starting to worry me. Which reminds me, when I had walked to her house (coming in through the window, of course) and picked her up this morning, I had walked in on an... interesting scene.

_"You _have _to eat your breakfast, honey," Mrs. Matthews was saying as I tip-toed into the room._

_"But I'm not hungry!" Riley protested, pushing her bowl of oatmeal away. Mrs. Matthews pushed it back. _

_"Eat it." she said firmly. I could see the dark circles under her eyes, the stressed look on her face. She had already spent enough time worrying about Maya, like we all had. I could only imagine how it felt to force your daughter to eat her breakfast._

_"No!" Riley cried. "I'm _not _hungry!" she pushed her bowl away from her again. "I feel like I'm going to throw up!"_

I had felt like I was intruding, so I climbed back out the window. None of them knew I was even there. I had used the door, like a normal person, and found Riley taking two bites of a banana, seeing me, and exclaiming "Well, time to go to school!' and skipping out the door, leaving rest of the banana behind.

"Riley, you have to eat," I told her. She scowled, glaring at me.

"First my parents now _you?" _she groaned.

"You can't starve yourself," Lucas added, pulling her into a hug. She wormed out of it, fighting back tears.

"I'm not hungry, okay?" she snapped. "Every time I try to eat, I feel like I'm going to throw up."

I sighed. This argument was pointless. As much as we tried to convince her, she wasn't going to eat.

This was an emotionally stressful time for the three of us, as you can see. So can you guess who popped up at that very moment to make things even more stressful? If you guessed 'Missy Bradford,' then you are correct.

She walked over to our table, with an evil smirk on her face.

"What do you want, Missy?" Riley snapped before Missy could even open her mouth.

"Yeah, aren't you supposed to be suspended?" Lucas added, wrapping Riley into a protective embrace as if he were afraid Missy might try something.

"It was only for two weeks," Missy sneered. "I'm back now... and I couldn't help but notice that you little bodyguard isn't here today."

The way she acted so innocent made me sick.

"Like you don't know," I growled.

"Oh," Missy let out a forced giggle. "Right. I forgot. She got hit by a car, didn't she?" she laughed. I could see Riley's fuse getting shorter and shorter.

"How is that funny?" Lucas growled, narrowing his eyes. Missy snickered.

"No reason," she said, obviously lying.

Riley pulled out of Lucas's arms, standing up. She walked up to Missy, looking surprisingly calm. I could almost hear Maya ask how bad this was going to be.

"Riley," I warned. She shot me look that I think was supposed to say 'I got this' before turning back to Missy. She opened her mouth to say something. No words would come out. _Oh no... _I thought. _This won't end well..._

"What do _you _want?" Missy asked with a smirk. I could see the fear in her eyes. _Come on Riley, _I willed her. _You got yourself into this. I know you can get yourself out of it._

The girls seemed to be having a stare off, until Riley started to gag. Missy looked confused.

"Is she choking?" Missy asked, narrowing her eyes. I smiled. Riley's words echoed in my head. '_Every time I try to eat I feel like I'm going to throw up.'_

Within a few short seconds, Missy's sweater was covered in puke. Riley backed away, a horrified look on her face.

"Ugh!" Missy cried, disgusted. "This sweater is _designer!" _she yelled, stalking away to get cleaned up.

"Did that just happen?" Riley asked after wiping her mouth and chugging down a whole bottle of water to get the taste out of her mouth.

"Yeah," I told her. "That just happened."

...

Sitting down on the edge of her bed, I squeezed her hand. She didn't move. The doctors had said that she was doing much better, but it didn't look like it to me. Her face was still and lifeless, her hands were still cold. The rising and falling of her chest was the only sign of life she gave.

I had come back here after Riley and Lucas left. I wanted to be alone with her.

I stared at her for a while, letting tears fall down. There was something I needed to get off my chest. I guessed that now was the best time to do it.

"Maya..." I whispered. "Two weeks ago, my whole world fell apart. I can't do this anymore, Maya. I can't _not _blame myself for this. I got mad at you, and you ran away. If it weren't for me, you would be with me right now. You would be okay.

"Maya, you _have_ to get better, you _have_ to wake up," I continued. "Riley _threw up _on Missy because you weren't there to protect her. She's barely eating because she's so worried, and it's all my fault. I'll never forgive myself if you don't make it, Maya. A world without you... is one I never want to have to live in."

My teardrops dripped onto her face. They ran down her cheeks, as if she were the one crying. I squinted. _Is she... no, I'm just imagining things... am I?_

Suddenly, her eyes fluttered open. My heart skipped a beat. "It hurts..." she said softly.

"Maya?" I whispered, my voice hoarse. "Maya! You're awake!"

A smile graced her features, contradicting the tears that streamed down her face. She blinked up at me, her ocean blue eyes wide.

"Farkle..." she whispered. "I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye." she smirked. "I heard everything."

"Y-you did?" I asked, the grin on my face spreading wider and wider. I wasn't embarrassed.

"So you wouldn't want to live in a world without me in it?" Maya asked.

"No, no I wouldn't," I said truthfully.

"Good," Maya said, squeezing my hand weakly. "Because I don't want to live in a world without you."

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><p><em>~~~<span>To Be Continued<span>~~~_

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, Pebblemist Nation! What'd ya think? What will happen next? What do YOU want to see happen next? Please please please leave a review on your way out! See ya next time!**

**~Pebblemist~**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews, guys! This chapter's gonna be a little short. Enjoy!**

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><p><em>~~~<span>Riley's Point Of View<span>~~~ Chapter 8: A Bitter-Sweet Reunion_

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><p>"Honey, you can't keep doing this," Mom said, pushing the plate of spaghetti closer to me. "We know you're worried about Maya, but sweetie, you <em>need<em> to eat."

I sighed, scowling at her and taking a bite of the spaghetti. "There. I ate. Happy now?" I asked, pushing the plate away from me and trying not to gag.

The past two weeks had been rough. Really rough. Do you know how hard it is to go through your daily life without your best friend? In case you've been fortunate not to have to experience something like this, I'll tell you this- it definitely wasn't easy.

"Riley, look at me," Dad stared me in the eye. There were dark circles around his eyes. He hadn't been taking this well. None of us had. (Except for Auggie, who we told that Maya had gotten a 'very bad boo-boo.') I knew I was just making things even more difficult for him, but I couldn't help it. How was I supposed to eat when the just the thought of food made me want to throw up? "Eat your dinner."

"But I'm not hungry," I protested, slamming my head down on the table and narrowly missing the plate.

"Riley," Mom said, but I didn't listen to her. I stood up and left the table.

"I'm going to bed," I announced.

"Riley, it's only six o'clock," Dad pointed out.

"I don't care," I said, walking away. "I'm tired."

"What's wrong with her?" I heard Auggie ask.

"Nothing, Auggie," Mom told. I didn't hear the rest of the conversation. I walked into my room, slamming the door behind me. Afraid of my parents or Auggie coming in, I locked it, even though I wasn't supposed to.

I went and sat by the window and pulled out my laptop. I started looking through the pictures I had uploaded from my phone. there were so many of them, just Maya and I. Ridiculous selfies, pictures from Coney Island, even some pictures from when we were little. In each and every one of them, we were smiling, happy, having fun. We were together.

Things might never be like that again.

Tears rolled down my face. I couldn't look at these anymore. I snapped the laptop shut and placed it off to the side. Turning around, I looked out the window. Maya was supposed to be coming in through here. She was supposed to be okay.

But she wasn't, and it killed me.

There was a knock on the door. "Riley?" Auggie asked. _Shoot_, I thought. _he'll rat me out for locking the door._

I quickly unlocked the door and went back to the window, yelling 'Come on in!" as I opened up the laptop again to make it look like I'd been on it all along.

The little boy cracked the door, sliding in. he closed it behind him and walked over to me , climbing onto the seat and plopping himself next to me.

"Riley?" he asked. "What's wrong with Maya?"

I sighed. "We already told you, Aug, she got a.. a very big boo-boo." I choked out.

Auggie placed his hands on his hips. "I'm not _stupid_! There's got to be something else. I miss the old, Smiley Riley."

"Yeah, well, I miss my best friend," I said, sounding harsher than I meant to. The little guy's face fell, and he ran out of the room, screaming _'MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!'_

I sighed. Now Mom would be coming in._ Just great._

There was a vibration tickling my leg. I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I entered my password. There was a '1' above the text symbol. I tapped it. It was from Farkle.

**Come 2 hospital NOW. Get here ASAP. It's about Maya.**

I mind began to spin. This could either be really good news, or really bad news. Either way, I knew it was important. And so I stood up from my seat and yelled at the top of my lungs.

"MOM! DAD! WE NEED TO GET TO THE HOSPITAL, QUICK!"

...

We rushed into the section of the hospital Maya was in. After signing in, we all sped walked down the hall. It was just me and my parents- Ava's mom had agreed to watch Auggie. We stopped outside of Maya's room.

"Hey guys, wait up!" a familiar voice called, echoing down the corridor. Lucas was jogging over to us. There was a worried look in his green eyes. We were all worried.

"H-hey," I stammered. "Should we go in?" I didn't wait for an answer. I turned the doorknob, taking a deep breath, bracing myself for the worst...

And receiving the best.

Farkle was sitting by the bed, holding her hand, with a big, dorky smile on his face.

Yeah, she was still covered from head to toe in bandages and casts. Sure, there were tire marks on her arms. But her eyes were open, and there was a grin on her face.

"Hey, Riles," was all she said.

"Maya!" I squealed, quickly running to her side and enveloping her in a hug. She let out an agonized groan. I quickly pulled away. "Maya I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?"

"N-no," Maya hissed, as if she were still in pain. "It's not your fault... I'm still recovering."

"Farkle, you made it seem like she was _dead!" _Lucas cried, glaring playfully at his best friend, who smiled sheepishly.

"Oops." he said. "I was just so excited. Didn't mean to make it come off that way."

Lucas rolled his eyes. He turned to Maya and grinned. "You had me scared, there, Maya. Don't ever do something stupid like that again, kay?"

"Oh, right, Ranger Rick, 'cause I totally _wanted_ to get run over by a truck," Maya said dryly. "Come on, now, use some common sense, cowboy."

"We were _all_ worried," Mom pointed out, walking over to her bed. She held her other hand. "You doing okay, Maya?" she asked. Maya nodded.

"So when will you be out?" Dad asked.

"I don't know. But at this point, I'm just glad to be alive. It'll be a while before I'm completely better, I know that." she let looked down. "My legs were crushed... there's a chance I might never walk again."

"Don't think about that," Dad told her. "We know you, Maya. Whatever happens, we know you can handle it. You'll get through this."

Maya nodded slowly. I-I know," she whispered. "Thanks, Mr. Matthews."

Dad smiled. "No problem."

Tears welled up in Maya's eyes. I could see her grip on my mother's hand tighten as the teardrops streamed down her cheeks.

"I thought I was going to die," she said softly.

"Maya, you don't have to talk about it," I told her. "Not if you're not ready."

"No." she said firmly. I have to feel comfortable talking about this with you guys."

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked.

Maya nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure." she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "It was the most terrifying thing ever. A-and it hurt... a lot. It still does. I thought I was going to die... and I didn't want to go without saying goodbye..."

"You don't have to, Maya," Dad told her. "You're going to be okay, okay? You're not going to die."

She nodded. "I know... I was just so scared..."

"You're not the only one," Lucas said, glancing at me.

"Seriously, Maya, you don't know how terrified I was," I told her honestly, staring her in the eyes. "I thought that you were going to die. I didn't want that to happen."

"Farkle already told me," Maya said softly. "You... you weren't eating because of me?"

I suddenly became very interested in the ground.

Maya sighed and decided to change the subject. "So you threw up on Missy?" she asked, grinning. "Man, wish I could have seen _that_!"

"Oh, yeah, you should have!" Lucas said, nudging me playfully. "It was the best."

I felt my face get hot. "No it wasn't," I told them, laughing.

"Yeah, it was, Riley. Stop doubting yourself. It was hilarious!"

I finally gave in. "Fine... I guess it was _kind of _funny."

Maya pretended to pout. "None of you got it on video for me?"

"Hey, we didn't know it was going to happen!" Farkle protested. "I don't think _Riley _knew it was going to happen!"

I laughed. "I honestly didn't! I was going to say something to her, and then it just...happened!

We talked and laughed together for a while. Yet it seemed like barely any time had passed before we left.

I didn't want to go. But when Maya's mother showed up, it was mutually agreed upon by all of us that they needed to be alone when they reunited.

"Where's my mom?" Maya asked, breaking an awkward silence that had settled in around us. Mom and Dad shared a glance.

"Um.." Dad began, but as if on que, the door creaked open, and a nurse peered in.

"Maya, your mother is here. Should we let her up?"

Maya nodded. Y-yes," she stammered. "I would like that." she turned to us. "Would you mind letting me see her alone?"

"No, of course not, sweetie," Mom said, stroking her hair before standing up. "I think it's about time we left, anyways."

"Okay," Maya said softly. "Bye, you guys."

"Bye," Lucas, Farkle and I said in unison.

"We'll come see you tomorrow, Kay?" I told her. She nodded.

And so we left to give Maya and her mother some privacy for th e it reunion.

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><p><span><em>To Be Continued<em>


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Guys I'm so so so sorry I haven't updated! I've been having some personal issues lately, with the addition of schoolwork and lack of internet. I'm really sorry! But be expecting an update to some of my other stories within the next few hours!**

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><p>-<em>-Maya's Point Of View<em>_- Chapter Nine- The Reunion_

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><p>To be completely honest, most of the events that occured in the weeks that followed the accident are a blur to me. Mostly because I was unconscious more than half of the time, but, you know, minor details, minor details.<p>

But the one thing that stands out most clearly in my mind was the terror I felt.

Fear defined my feelings most of the time I was awake. I had no idea where I was or whether or not I was going to survive. I just remember bright lights, and doctors swarming me, not being able to move, seeing this thick, scarlet colored blood- my blood- everywhere. I remember screaming so hard, trying to ask for my mother, but no words would come out.

And then there was the pain... so much pain... Everything hurt. The feeling of my bones being snapped and broken... not an enjoyable feeling. No matter how much medication they gave me, the pain wouldn't go away. It almost hurt more than it did when I first got hit. And then, every time I would think that the pain might be subsiding a little bit, I would have the nightmares. I had relived the accident countless times, and each and every time, the pain got worse and worse.

There was a period of time where I wished I could just die.

There seemed to be no reason to live. What was the point of living if it's physically impossible for you to even show signs of life?

But before I could dwell on the thought of letting go, I had felt my consciousness pushing through. I had suddenly found the strength to wake myself up. And when I heard Farkle's voice, listened to what he was saying, I realized that I had to stay strong. I couldn't leave, not like this. Riley needed me, Farkle needed me. And I wasn't about to let them down. I wasn't going to fail.

Just before the Matthews had gotten here, a doctor had given me some terrible news about my condition. Only time would tell, but the chance of me ever walking again... They were not very likely.

If it were even humanly possible, I was made to feel even more helpless.

And for the billionth time, all I wanted was my mother.

But unlike many, many times before, when the door to my hospital room creaked open, and my mother peered in and whispered my name, I knew that this time, my wish would be granted.

"Oh, Maya!" she cried, at my side within seconds, pulling me into a hug. A fresh wave of agony rolled over me, and a shrill cry of pain escaped my lips. She pulled back, letting me fall back down.

"Mom," I said, my breath hitching in my throat. Tears streamed down my face. "Mom! You're here!"

"Of course I'm here, sweetie," Mom said softly, stroking my hair with one hand and squeezing my hand with the other. "Oh, Maya, I thought I was going to lose you."

I choked back the sobs. "Hurts! It... it hurts!" I whispered. "I-I thought I was going to die! I thought I'd have to go without... without saying goodbye..."

Mom shook her head and leaned down, planting a reassuring kiss on my cheek. "Don't worry, Maya, you'll be okay." she told me. "The doctors are going to help you, honey. You just have to stay strong."

I stared at her for a moment, and then something I had wanted to get off my chest since I was told it came blurting out of my mouth before I could even think to stop it.

"I might never be able to walk again, and I'm not supposed to worry?"

Mom blinked. Her lips parted in an expression of surprise and confusion. I sighed.

"There, I said it, Mom." I said, making an effort to keep my voice from wavering. "There's a good chance that I.. I might have to be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life, i-if I even survive this."

"I know, sweetie-"

I looked down, scanning all of the cuts and bruises that hadn't been covered by the bandages. "And it's not just that," I interrupted her. Despite my efforts, my voice started to falter. "There's something that I've been wanting to say to you for a very long time, and this accident... It proves how fast life can change. A-and the thought that I might have had to die without saying this..." I tried to meet her gaze, but it was hard not being able to move my neck properly. "It kills me..." I paused, then, unable to resist the urge, added; "No pun intended."

I looked up at her, bracing myself for her reply. I didn't get one. She just stared at me with a blank expression. I couldn't read any exact emotion in her face. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, taking her silence as a que to go on.

"Mom," I said firmly, surprised at how quickly I was able to gain control over my voice. "I love you, and I guess I was too scared to say it before, but I... I don't want our relationship to be.. messed up anymore."

"Maya, what do you mean?" she asked, finally managing to find her voice.

I could feel the tears bubbling up, burning my eyelids. I took another deep breath, squeezing my eyes shut to keep myself from crying.

"Mom... You leave for work before I wake up, and you come home after I go to bed. When you get time off, you spend it going to auditions or chasing my father, both of which we both know you'll never get, and every time you say you'll be somewhere, you don't show up, or you show up a day late. I try not to get my hopes up, but..." I couldn't do it anymore. I began to sob. "I do, I do get my hopes up, and when you don't show up, it hurts!"

Tears welled up in Mom's eyes. She stared at me, dumbfounded. Slowly, a weak smile spread across her face. Her tears spilled over, dripping onto my cheeks.

I blinked. "Mom?" my hands trembled, the only movement I could make without putting myself through any more excruciating pain than I was already in.

"Oh, Maya, sweetie... I feel the same way, I really do. I know you'll probably never be able to forgive me for how I've made you feel," she squeezed my hand even tighter. "But I-"

"Forgive you?" I blinked up at her, unable to resist a slight smirk. "You're my mom... How could I not?"

We sat there, just the two of us. We talked. We laughed. We cried. For how long, I don't really know, but it felt like hours. It didn't really matter, though. We were together.

But soon, my eyelids began to droop, and my mind began to get foggy as my exhaustion began to take its toll on me. My jaws parted in a lou involuntary yawn.

Mom chuckled. "Alright, sweetie," she said, stroking my hair. "You need your rest, if you're going to get better anytime soon. It's getting late, anyways."

I nodded feebly- I was able to move a bit more now, though I was far from being able to roll over or sit up or lift anything.

"Okay," I said softly. I let my head sink into the pillow, when a thought suddenly popped into my head. "Hey, Mom?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Will I have to eat the disgusting hospital food?"

She laughed. "Well, that depends. Would you like me to sneak you a tuna melt tomorrow morning before I go to work?"

I grinned. "Sure.. Thanks. That sounds great."

"I love you, Maya." Mom whispered, gently kissing me on the cheek. Even if I were physically able to, I don't think I would have tried to pull away.

"I love you, too, Mom..." I said, trying my hardest not to fall asleep just yet.

But nonetheless, my eyelids began to feel heavy, like they were being weighed down by cinder blocks. I hadn't realized just how exhausted I was. My world became black as my eyes closed.

And as my Mom left and the door clicked shut, I let myself relax, the pain steadily becoming more and more bearable, resisting itself to a little more than a dull throb as I drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

To Be Continued

A/N: So, yeah. That's the end of this chapter! What did you think? What would you like to see next? Please, let me know by dropping a review on the way out. Constructive criticism is always appreciated!

~Pebblemist~


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Today's your lucky day! Enjoy the chapter :)**

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><p><em><span>~~~ Riley's Point of View~~~ Chapter Ten: Hold My Hand<span>_

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><p>"Are you sure you're ready for this?" I asked, brushing a stray strand of hair out of Maya's eyes.<p>

"No, I'm not, and I know I'm not," she said, narrowing her eyes determinedly. "But I have to do this. I can 't be stuck in this tiny hospital room for much longer." She sighed as her gaze flicked towards the wheelchair parked next to her bed. "I wish I could just recover faster, the I wouldn't have to be confined to that thing."

I shook my head, exasperated. "You're never going to get over this wheelchair thing, are you?" she shook her head. "Until your legs heal, you won't be able to walk. When that time comes, you won't need a wheelchair," I said carefully, making sure to say when. Not if. When. She was going to be fine... right?

About a month and a half had passed since the accident, and gradually, Maya was getting better and better. Her left arm and both of her legs were broken, but she had gotten lucky. No major organs had been harmed. With lots of rest, she was expected to make a full recovery, with the exception of her legs, which the doctors were still uncertain of.

Now Maya was sitting up, squeezing my hand with the non-broken one. Her cast-covered legs were swung over the side of the bed, her toes touching the floor, waiting to be released.

"Hey, Riley?" she asked, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She opened them again, and blinked at me, her blue eyes brimming with tears. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," I nodded, sure that I knew where this was going to lead. She didn't actually think she was going to be okay. She was scared, and she had every right to be. "You can ask me anything."

"Anything? Anything at all?" she asked, hope alight in her eyes.

"Anything," I said firmly.

She looked down. "Riles, I'm scared. What if I don't recover? What if I never walk again and I'm confined to this wheelchair my whole life?"

I stroked her hair with my free hand. "Maya," I said softly, trying to sound gentle. "Stop thinking like that. You are going to recover, you are going to walk again. You will not be stuck in a wheelchair your whole life. Do you understand me?"

"But how do you know that, Riley?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but then the cold, hard truth hit me like a ton of bricks, and my mouth snapped shut. I couldn't prove how I knew this because...

I didn't know.

I couldn't fix this. If there was one thing in the world that I couldn't help with my 'twisted need to fix things' as Maya would call it, it was this. There was absolutely nothing that I could do to reassure her. I couldn't make promises if I couldn't keep them.

The thought of not being able to help killed me.

I hated it.

Before either of us could do or say anything, my parents walked in, followed by a pair of doctors. After running one last X-ray, the doctors assisted Maya into the wheelchair. Papers were signed, and soon, she was free to go.

"Are you ready, Maya?" Mom asked.

"Of course I'm ready," Maya said without hesitation. "Why wouldn't I be?" she glanced in my direction, her eyes wide. Realizing that she was acting suspicious, she let out a forced laugh. "I've been ready since I got into this mess."

Mom eyed her for a second. She turned to Dad, a worried look on her face. As if we couldn't see her, she mouthed 'You handle this, Cory.'

Dad froze for a second. He smiled awkwardly down at Maya, who patiently waited to leave, tapping her fingers against the armrest. He took a deep breath, taking her hand into his. His face gained a serious look.

"Look, Maya," he said gently. "Are you sure you're ready? Because if you're not-"

"I'm ready," Maya said firmly, stopping him from continuing with the rambling he would have no doubt started. "As ready as I'll ever be."

...

We wheeled her through the hospital. The elevator was just down the hall from us when her grip on my hand tightened considerably. Throughout the elevator ride, we were silent.

The closer we got to the doors, the tighter she squeezed. She swallowed hard as Mom opened the door.

Maya's grip loosened up as we pushed her outside. She gazed around in amazement, the look of excitement on her face the equivalent of a child's in a candy store.

"It's so... bright!" she cried, squinting into the sunlight. "I almost forgot how it feels to be ou- Eek!"

Her squeal made me jump a bit. I opened my mouth to question her when I followed her gaze.

She was staring at the cars passing by on the road. Her muscles tensed and her grip on my hand was tighter than it was before. Her fingers began to tremble, and her eyes gained a faraway look to them.

She tried to say something, but her voice seemed to not want to work. "That-that.." was all she managed to say, and even that came out at a hoarse whisper.

"Maya, sweetie, it's okay," Mom soothed, stroking her back in an attempt to calm her down.

"I want my mom," she whimpered softly. Tears streamed down her face.

My heart shattered into a million pieces. This wasn't the Maya I knew.

I had talked to Katy. She had told me about what Maya told her. Their relationship had definitely improved a lot in the past month and a half.

Katy had plead with her boss, gotten down on her knees to beg for him to let her off of work so she could be there when Maya was released. But if she went, she'd get fired, and she couldn't afford for that to happen.

"I know you do, and you'll see her soon, I promise," I told her softly. She blinked up at me, her ocean blue eyes brimming with tears. She took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut and loosening her grip on my hand.

"I'm going to be okay," she whispered under her breath. "I'm gonna be okay..." she opened her eyes, a determined look on her face. "I'm okay," she said firmly.

"Are you sure?" I asked her. She smiled at me, and for a moment it was as if she were still the same old Maya I knew.

"I'm always okay, Riles," Maya told me. "What makes you think that I wouldn't be?" she flashed me a grin. I shook my head, deciding it was best that I didn't answer that.

"Yeah, whatever," I told her, smiling. My best friend was back to her old self. At least for now.


End file.
